


It's Not Love

by LordLuminous



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Porn, Canonical Character Death, Comfort Sex, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Sex, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, One Night Stands, Platonic Relationships, Smut, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:00:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25059631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordLuminous/pseuds/LordLuminous
Summary: Tai starts spiralling after Summer's death but Qrow is there for him. Qrow tells Tai that he's there for him if he ever needs anything, and I guess he did really mean "anything"...18+MINORS DO NOT ENGAGE
Relationships: Qrow Branwen & Ruby Rose, Qrow Branwen & Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen & Yang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose & Taiyang Xiao Long, Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long, Taiyang Xiao Long & Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	It's Not Love

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoy this fic. I worked hard on it. Took alot of time to write out.
> 
> My beta is TheHollowMoon. They make amazing smut. Go read their works. It's really good.
> 
> This fic premise would not leave me alone. I just needed to write Qrow and Tai mourning Summer together, with a little spice.

Taiyang didn't remember when he passed out, and at this point, he didn't care. The only thing he could feel was his pain. It had been a week since Summer had been declared KIA, and the gravity of that hurt so much. He couldn't bear it before he found himself opening a bottle. He felt a jolt as someone shook him.

"Tai, what the hell?" The voice sounded reminiscent of Qrow, which made sense.

Tai opened his eyes slightly; it definitely was Qrow. He was holding him, picking him up off the floor.

"Leave me, Qrow." Taiyang croaked.

"Like hell! Drinking is totally my thing. I didn't tell you to copy me." Qrow lectured, as he carried Tai to bed and away from alcohol. Qrow was thankful that Ruby and Yang were asleep.

Tai felt the soft cushion of the bed beneath him. It's where him and Summer used to sleep together. He felt a tinge of pain cross through his heart, and for some reason he couldn't shed a single tear for her, his own wife. He felt pathetic. Summer deserved better than him.

Tai fidgeted as Qrow tried to tuck him in. He hated it. "N-No..."

"Come on, Tai, please..." Qrow begged, solemnly.

"I don't want to do this without her, Qrow." Tai hiccupped, he finally found the courage to look at his friend. Qrow just frowned sadly, looking at him. He didn't want to either.

"You should stay away from me, Qrow. I keep losing people close to me. It's my fault." Tai pled, getting upright to face Qrow, who was sitting on the bed.

Qrow chuckled darkly. "That's my line, Tai. I'm the bad luck charm. You're just you."

"It's not your fault. You weren't there so you aren't allowed to blame yourself." Tai reaffirmed.

"Oh, but you're allowed to blame yourself? Prick." Qrow glared. Tai digressed, lying back into the bed.

"I don't want to lose you too..." Tai confessed, his voice faltered.

Qrow brushed Tai's messy hair back. "Then don't try pushing me away. I lost her too, Tai. And I'll always be here if you need anything. Even if you just want to talk."

Tai's eyes widened. Qrow knew too. He lost Summer too. Tai felt selfish. He was only thinking about himself, but Qrow was here for him, like always. They shared the same pain and Tai only focused on himself. Tai felt stupid, forgetting his family.

Qrow noticed how silent Tai got. It was worrying him. He couldn't let Tai fall into drinking, not like him. Tai is a father. He has to be there for Yang and Ruby. Ironic, he was trying to tell someone to stop drinking. It sounded so easy to say.

"You know, you can't keep doing this, Tai. You gotta be there for Yang. For Ruby. For both of them. I know it's hard, but you have to pull it together." Qrow told him, and it was true. It wasn't just about Tai anymore. It's about the girls, his nieces. There wasn't enough time to wallow away. It felt wrong to ask Tai to swallow his grief, but was he really asking that? All Qrow wanted was for Tai to be alright. They'd miss Summer and all her radiance. They'd never forget her, but Summer wouldn't want them to stop living. Qrow had a feeling Tai knew this too.

Tai had lost Raven, she left him, abandoned him and Yang. That hurt him so badly, but Summer was there. She promised she would always be there. They took care of Yang, and they fell into each other. Summer was brilliant. It's what he needed in his life. The time they spent taking care of their family was the best thing he ever knew. It seemed almost perfect when Tai proposed to Summer, and she happily said yes. Their wedding was small. Not too many people, just close friends and family. It was the happiest day of their lives, and then they had Ruby and things couldn't be better. 

Now, he's alone again. Summer wasn't here to pick up the pieces. It was just Qrow and him, and Tai wasn't sure if Qrow could always be there.

Tai's breath had shook, he sat up again, before he spoke his confession. "I could do it, you know? I could live life without her. I don't doubt that for a single second…" Tai gulped, before continuing. "It's that I will learn to live without her that hurts the most. I don't _want_ to learn to live in this world without Summer!" A single tear made its way down Tai's face. It had been the first tear he shed for Summer, after a week of feeling completely numb. 

Tai began to visibly shake as his voice started to get louder. "I just don't! I don't want to know what my world looks like without her. That just hurts so much, and I have to do that! I _have_ to live without her. I _have_ to learn how to do that, because I love Yang. I love Ruby. I love you, Qrow. I don't want to leave any of you behind! So why does it feel like leaving Summer behind means I'm forgetting her? I know it shouldn't, but it does. And that doesn't make sense. It shouldn't make sense."

Qrow's body reacted before he could fully process his own actions. He reached for Tai, holding him tightly in a hug. "Sometimes, grief doesn't make sense. What you feel doesn't make sense. Believe me, I know. I don't know a lot about love. You know that, but I do know that you could never forget Summer. _We_ could never forget Summer. We carry her with us, always."

Tai's face contorted into agony as he began sobbing in Qrow's arms, hugging Qrow, holding onto his friend, clinging to him with a need for safety. Qrow embraced him tighter. Hearing Qrow affirm that he wasn't insane for feeling this way had felt freeing.

They didn't speak. Tai's crying was the only noise to be heard in the cold, dark night. Qrow held him silently, letting Tai absorb his new life, these new emotions that he has to deal with. Qrow was glad that Tai wasn't alone for this. If he had been on a mission, who knows what would have happened.

Tai's throat felt sore. He was letting it all out, but he felt so empty inside. The hole Summer had left felt too large to fill. He needed to feel something.

Qrow.

The thought crossed Tai's mind. He wondered if he was making a mistake asking. Qrow probably wouldn't want to. They're friends, so Qrow wouldn't look at him that way. Maybe that's why Tai felt compelled to ask, because Qrow might be willing to. No point in dwelling on it. Just ask.

"Qrow, I'm going to ask you something stupid. Don't scream at me, just answer me, yes or no."

Qrow pulled away from Tai, raising an eyebrow as he examined the look on his friend's face. "What is it, Tai?"

"I need to fuck you. Just once. Just for tonight. I just need that. I'll never ask again, I swear-"

Qrow stopped him. He tried to fully process the words that were coming out of Tai's mouth. His closest friend just asked to have sex. 'This could just be Tai's way of coping with everything.' Qrow thought to himself. Qrow felt like he would be taking advantage of Tai in this state. Is a good fuck really what Tai needs right now? Qrow would do anything for his friend, but this? What lines were being crossed?

"Tai, do you understand what you just asked me? You want to have sex, with me...? Are you sure...? Because once we do, there won't be a going back. The deed will be done." Qrow tried to reason with the man.

"I'm not that drunk, Qrow. I just need this. I want to feel something. I promise I won't regret it." Tai clasped Qrow's face in his hands. Qrow brushed his hands up to Tai's, holding them.

"You know I'd do anything for you, Tai. If this helps, then so be it." Qrow accepted, as he gave Tai a soft smile. 

Tai teared up a little bit, as he leaned into a kiss. They held each other, as the kiss became more passionate. The need replaced the sentimentality, as Tai started to undress Qrow. Qrow could tell; there was too much tension in Tai. They got naked pretty quickly, because Tai wanted to get right into foreplay.

Tai had Qrow on his back, his lips pressed against Qrow's body as he got a taste of the rugged man and all his glory. Qrow stifled his groan, trying to keep quiet. Tai was sneakily making his way down Qrow slowly, getting to his pants. He unbuttoned them and kissed the bulge in Qrow's boxers. Tai pulled the boxers down, sucking off Qrow, who was desperately trying to keep his voice down.

"You better start taking your shit off too, Tai." Qrow complained when Tai stayed there too long.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting there." Tai unbuttoned his pants, letting his own manhood free. Qrow pulled Tai down, making out with him. They wrapped themselves in each other, pressing against one another. 

The kiss became slower as Tai started to fully absorb the pleasure. He tried desperately to slow himself down, trying not to end it as quickly as possible. He wanted this slowly, passionately. Qrow could feel them slowing down, he wasn't sure why but he let it happen. This was about Tai, so if he wanted this to take longer then Qrow wouldn't mind. He didn't usually have slow sex, it was too intimate. There was too much feeling, and that was already something he was bad at. It was different this time, because this was Tai. Taiyang Xiao Long. He could afford this. Just this once, giving into emotions. 

Tai pulled back, he sat back. "Can you… Can you give me a blow job?" 

Qrow laughed at the way he asked. "Sure." Qrow obliged and wrapped his lips around Tai's cock. Tai held back his moans as he let Qrow do his work.

After a bit, Tai could feel himself on edge. He asked Qrow to stop, who obliged. He moved Qrow onto his back again, pulling his legs around his own waist. "I'm going in raw. Any problems?"

"Damn, you're going to leave me sore." Qrow remarked, he knew he could take it. It wasn't his first raw anal, he could take it. "Fine, just start slow. You're big."

Tai laughed heartily at the compliment. As he applied the lubricant he pulled from the table drawer on the side of the bed, he positioned himself in front of Qrow. Tai pushed his tip inside slowly. Qrow wasn't as tight as he thought he'd be. Qrow did get around often. He tried not to dwell on it as he let Qrow relax.

"Ready?" 

"Yeah..."

Tai held Qrow, moving in and out. His thrusts started slow, as Qrow grabbed on to him. He felt Qrow's legs tighten as they dangled on his ass.

The pace stayed slow. Tai was talking his time with Qrow. Qrow's hair started looking messier. It didn't help that Qrow grabbed his hair, messing it up. Tai let it happen, he focused on Qrow. His lips captured Qrow's to drown out the potential noise.

Qrow could feel the sweat build up between them as they started to work up. His nails dug into Tai's back. Tai smirked. Tai's thrusts became longer, harder. It maintained speed. Tai caressed Qrow's body with his hands, placing kisses from time to time on Qrow's neck. It was sensual. 

Qrow felt relaxed in Tai's arms. He pulled Tai closer, leaving a kiss on his friend's neck. The two tried so hard to keep their noise down, but Qrow desperately wanted to scream out. It felt so good.

Tai watched Qrow enjoying himself. It made his heart skip a beat. It didn't stop the smile from forming on his face. Tai's thrusts became slightly faster. Qrow moaned. Tai was good at teasing him. The thrusts became long as Tai felt himself close to the edge.

"I- I want to cum in you." Tai whispered between thrusts.

Qrow looked at Tai, breathing heavily, whispering back. "Do it, just do it. I'm close. Fuck."

Tai picked up the pace in the final moments. He climaxed in Qrow, but not before Qrow's cum spilled over his belly. They breathed. Tai gently thrust a little more to let the remaining cum out. Tai stayed inside Qrow for a while. The sound of heavy breathing was the only noise to be heard in the otherwise silent night. Tai leaned in to kiss Qrow one last time. Qrow held Tai, pressing them together. Tai looked up to Qrow, his breath was still heavy, he wasn't sure what he felt right now. He was satisfied, but it was strange. It was a feeling he couldn't describe.

Qrow watched as Tai pulled out of him, lying beside him. They caught their breath. The silence remained between them. Qrow looked at Tai, but he wasn't looking back. Qrow looked to the ceiling. This was different. It wasn't like his other one-night stands. He knew Tai, so he couldn't just walk away in the middle of the night. He certainly wanted to clean off a bit.

Qrow got up from the bed, he made his way to the bathroom. Grabbing the first towel he could find, he wiped his body and ass down. He felt a little cleaner. He looked at the towel. He figured Tai needed to clean his dick too. Qrow went out to find Tai still lying there. Their eyes met.

"Here, let me wipe you up." Qrow whispered softly.

Tai nodded, and whispered. "Thank you."

Qrow stroked and wiped Tai's dick. It looked a little cleaner. Qrow folded the small towel and put it in the laundry bin inside the bathroom. He came back out to see his clothes laying over the ground. He might as well pick it up and put something on to sleep in.

"We need a shower. I don't know about you but I feel sweaty." Tai complained, getting off the bed.

Qrow stared up at Tai, there was a brief hesitation before he answered. "We should take it together. It'll be faster that way."

"Sure." Tai nodded. He went to the wardrobe and brought out a towel for Qrow. He grabbed his own and they stepped in together.

\----

The shower was quiet in the beginning. Qrow didn't actually know what to say. He rubbed soap all over his body, and then handed the bar to Tai.

"Can you put it on my back?"

"Sure." Tai nodded as Qrow turned to face the showerhead. Tai rubbed the soap on his hands, letting the lather build up. Tai ignored the feeling of how surreal the experience was for him. Being able to touch Qrow like this in a far more quiet and reserved setting. There was no distraction. He put the soap bar back on the rack and applied the lathered soap on Qrow's back. Tai had been done with putting the soap on the crow's back. Tai popped the showerhead off the stand it had been on. He washed the soap off Qrow's back himself, leaving it nice and clean.

"Thank you. I could do your back, if you want?" Qrow offered.

Tai accepted and Qrow didn't waste any time taking care of him. Qrow hadn't spoken as he applied the lathered soap, but he was thinking hard. He should say something. He wanted to. What was there he could say? 'Well Tai, that was a good fuck' wasn't it because that would be bad. Tai would probably look at him funny. This was serious.

Qrow finished up with Tai's back. He washed the soap off himself because he realized Qrow had become distracted.

As if Tai could feel Qrow's doom and gloom brooding, Tai smiled as he turned around. The man engulfed Qrow in his arms. "Thanks for being here tonight, Qrow. I mean it. You're a lifesaver."

Qrow gulped at the words, before smiling and wrapping his arms around his friend. "Don't mention it. I'll always be here for you, whenever you need me and however you need me. Just promise you're not going to bring random women home to get off. Yang and Ruby don't need that."

"Of course not. I wouldn't ever do that." Tai agreed.

"I mean it. If you need sex again, then you call me. I'm usually down." Qrow tried to quip to cheer up Tai from their mutual brooding. Tai facepalmed. His friend was super dumb, but he appreciated the sentiment. It was a good laugh that he needed, even Qrow didn't stop being Qrow. Although Tai didn't think he would need this again, the offer was appreciated.

\----

Once they were finished with their shower, they went back into the room together with towels wrapped around their waist. "I have clothes you can borrow. You can stay here," Tai had walked to the wardrobe, and opened it. He looked back to Qrow, who seemed unsure. "...i-if you want. If you want to stay in the g-guest room, that's fine."

Qrow watched the grown man stutter through his words. He let out a little laugh, rubbing his neck. "Sure, let's just put something on…"

Tai laughed too. "Yeah…" Tai stopped for a moment and looked to Qrow. He was going to say something, but stopped himself.

Qrow and Tai got dressed in night clothes, and got into bed together. They stayed on their own side of the bed. Tai and Qrow couldn't really sleep. They looked at eachother. 

"Hey remember, when we were at Beacon, that time Summer ate ALL the cookies we had and you called her Cookie Monster for 2 days straight." Tai recalled.

"Ughhh, don't remind me. Summer did not let that go. It started the prank war. Summer just had to get me back." Qrow complained.

"She really got you good." Tai snickered.

And just like that, they talked till they became too tired to tell stories. Qrow let his eyes close slowly as the fatigue of the day finally hit as he and Tai drowned in daydreams of the happier memories from their time at Beacon.

\----

Tai got up earlier than Qrow, he saw the light filter into the room. It was certainly much later in the morning. Tai looked to the man laying in his bed. He recalled the previous night. He held his hand over his heart, clutching his shirt. 

He slept with Qrow. 

Tai still didn't regret a single moment of it. He was glad that he didn't regret a single moment they shared last night. It made him visibly smile. For the first time in a week, Tai felt a weight off his shoulders; his talk with Qrow helped. He still missed Summer desperately, a part of his heart still felt an ache, but it wasn't the same as before.

He knew Summer would always have a place in his heart. He used that as his strength to move forward. He got out of bed, stretching. He put some slippers on and walked down to the kitchen to make some breakfast for everyone. It was a new day, so time to live it. First things first, he had to go to the market to get some groceries. Qrow was here, so if Ruby and Yang needed anything, they'd get him.

Qrow's eyes opened slowly. The light in the room made it bright. He closed his eyes again, not wanting to deal with the sun. He felt Tai leave the bed. He didn't look at Tai as the room door shut behind him. He turned to lay on his back. He thought about the night before and everything it meant.

It had been a while since he had such emotional sex, and it was his best friend of all people. It was a strange feeling. Qrow knew in his heart that this wasn't love. It could never have been love, not romantically. Tai didn't love him that way. To be honest, he did love Tai but not in any romantic way that he could think of. It felt displaced to call it lust. It certainly meant more to him than some random person he had sex with outside in some alleyway outside a tavern or bar.

Qrow knew it was something. He couldn't quite place the right word. He tried not to dwell on it. He let his eyes open. He let the light in. It was a new day. Whatever this was between them, it was just that. It was one night. It was to comfort a friend. Something he would happily do again.

Qrow knew only one other thing. He felt far too lazy to get out of bed. Nope, he wanted to sleep till noon. Gods, let the world shut up for the morning. He didn't want to do anything.

Tai had gotten dressed, checked up on Yang and Ruby, who were sleeping in the same bed. It was adorable. Tai loved that. He closed the girls' door, making his way to the living room. He noticed the picture frame was broken. Tai struggled to remember if he had done that. It was probably him. As Tai cleaned the shards of glass and the mess, he noticed the picture had been missing. He wondered where it had gone. He had no memory of what he had done with it, or if he had done anything to picture. It was a picture of Raven. He might have just thrown it away.

After Tai cleaned up the mess, he left the house to get groceries. It had been later in the morning so the market was definitely open.

\----

It wasn't too hard. Tai came back sooner from the market than he expected. It was eerily silent in the house. He expected Yang or Ruby to be up by now, causing noise. Something made his heart tug with worry. He made his way to the girls' room.

"Ruby! Yang! Come on, it's time for breakfast! I'll make your favourite pancakes with chocolate chips!" Tai politely knocked on the door. It was weird. They should have been up by now.

Tai's eyes widened in surprise as he opened the door. The girls weren't in their rooms. They were gone. He tucked them in last night and he saw them in bed before he left. Where did they go? Tai ran around the house looking. He didn't see them playing outside either. Tai started to breathe heavily.

"Oh no…" Tai raced back to his room. He slammed the door open. Qrow jolted upward.

"Tai-"

"Qrow, get dressed! The girls are missing!"

"What?" Qrow screamed.

\----

Qrow got dressed and both got their weapons ready. The girls didn't get far. Tai and Qrow had split up. Qrow would get a better aerial look for them. It must have been hours as he searched for the girls in bird form. Qrow begged whatever God could hear him to spare the girls from any harm. He wouldn't know what he would do if something had happened to either of them. 

The girls had left while he was asleep and Tai had gone out. It was his fault. Fuck. Qrow wished he had taken more care of them.

As if by miracle and pure horror, he found the girls. Yang had been confronted by Grimm, she was all alone with Ruby in a little wagon. 

"NO!"

Qrow swooped down. He slayed the Grimm one by one, masterfully, before they could even touch a hair on Yang or Ruby's precious heads.

Qrow looked over to Yang. He ran toward her.

"U-Uncle Qwow-" Yang uttered before she collapsed onto the floor. She was tired. She must have walked all the way out here.

"Yang! Sunshine! I got you. Don't worry, your Uncle Qrow's got you." Qrow pulled Yang into his arms, reassuring her soothingly, if she were still listening. He carried Yang and Ruby in his arms. He notified Tai that he found them, and would explain when they met up.

\----

Qrow brought the girls home safely, he met Tai as soon as he got home.

"Yang! Ruby!" Tai rushed in to hug them.

Yang was still fast asleep while Ruby clutched her father. "I'm sorry daddy."

"Don't you ever do that again! I love you girls so much. You mean everything to me." Tai peppered Ruby's little head with kisses. They had a proper dinner and Tai tucked the girls back in bed. They had a trying day today. It was evening already.

Qrow explained everything he saw and heard. When Ruby woke up, she told him about a photo Yang had found and showed her. Tai gasped, he had a feeling he knew which one. "We almost lost her." Tai whispered. He looked like he blamed himself. 

Qrow placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a soft smile. "You and I wouldn't let that happen, ever. Just like today." 

Tai simply nodded. "Yeah…"

The crow watched Tai return to his room. Everything seemed to have happened so fast. Summer, everything with Tai, and the girls running off on their own. Qrow sat quietly, staring outside at the sunset. A part of him still worried about Tai. He could take less missions, although he wasn't sure how Ozpin would feel about that. Qrow didn't want to worry about all that right now. All that was left was the sound of wind blowing against the windows and the song that the birds sang.

\----

Tai never asked for sex between them ever again. It never really came up in conversations either. Qrow didn't think either of them had forgotten that night though. Nothing drastically changed for Tai. It had felt like Tai was more open to Qrow after that. Like a deeper level of trust between them had become established and solidified. Qrow didn't mind one bit.

Their talk had straightened out Tai, and it seemed like he found a new lease on life. Tai didn't really date anyone after that. Qrow could only guess why, but he let it be. Qrow started to distance himself again before his bad luck ruined another good thing. He went back to his missions. The War against Salem on his mind was a higher priority, as he gave more of himself to help Ozpin fight her.

Qrow was okay with how things had turned out between them. It was just a night. A night where nothing else really mattered. Once they got out of bed, the two went back to what they always were: friends. That's all it would ever be.


End file.
